


The Tonic of Wilderness

by piperholmes



Category: Sanditon (TV 2019), Sanditon - Jane Austen
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Family Fluff, Post Fix-It, Pregnancy, Sea bathing, artwork, marrieds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:01:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23984974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/piperholmes/pseuds/piperholmes
Summary: Charlotte is hot, uncomfortable, grumpy, and pregnant. Sidney thinks he just might have the solution.
Relationships: Charlotte Heywood & Sidney Parker, Charlotte Heywood/Sidney Parker
Comments: 20
Kudos: 124





	The Tonic of Wilderness

**Author's Note:**

> This was born after someone mentioned wanting to see Sidolette sea bathing, so I thought I’d give it a try. Again, I am so appreciative of all the sweet words of support an kind encouragement. I know I am not a particularly skilled artist, but I do love creating for these two and I hope as I continue to practice I’ll continue to improve. An you are all so wonderful that it makes it easy to want to keep trying!
> 
> I decided to try my hand at drawing with color rather than just black and white. I don’t think it turned out as good (especially Sidney’s face) but I think I liked it enough to not totally give up on trying color. We’ll see.
> 
> Unbeta’d
> 
> And if you have any requests or ideas of something you’d like to see (either drawing wise or photoshop or even fanfic?) you can always leave a comment or message me on tumblr (piperholmes.tumblr) or twitter (Piperholmes1). My skills are limited but I’m open to trying anything!

It seemed as if there was to be no relief.

Charlotte shifted in her chair for the umpteenth time, the low, dull ache in her back having now spread to her hips, preventing her from finding any comfortable position. She’d attempted to lie down, but after only dozing for half an hour, she was left bored and the throbbing in her hip had not lessened. She’d walked around some, loving the small garden behind their home, but despite the heavy cloud cover threatening rain, the air was thick and hot, leaving Charlotte sticky and breathless. So she found herself in the library, trying but spectacularly failing to be distracted by Ms. Lennox’s hilariously adventurous Arabella.

She couldn’t believe she had still several more months to go and summer was only just beginning.

With an angry huff, she tossed the book aside and pulled pillow over her face, doing her best to trap the frustrated shout within its fibers.

“Lovely,” came a sardonic voice, startling Charlotte.

She dropped the pillow suddenly and sat up as quickly as her cumbersome body would allow.

”Oh, it’s you,” she sighed, and slummed back inelegantly into the chair.

Sidney merely raised an eyebrow, his head tilting as he crossed his arms behind his back, just watching the displeasure play out across his wife’s adorable face.

”Indeed,” he offered. “It is I.”

She heard the underlining humor in his voice and her eyes narrowed before she frowned petulantly.

Sidney stepped more fully into the library and bent to scoop up the copy of The Female Quixote he’d just witnessed being thrown.

Carefully placing the book on the side table.

“I thought you enjoyed that book.”

“I did!” She huffed. “I mean I do, I normally do, that is.”

“Normally?”

“Yes,” she snapped. “Normally, when I’m not carrying a sack of flour around my middle, and I can find a comfortable way to sit, and my back isn’t aching, and I don’t feel like a furnace nor have a jackrabbit bouncing around inside me.”

“Ah,” he said simply, a dawning of understanding shining in his eyes.

Charlotte scowled.

“Right,” he began. “How about a nap?”

“Tried that.”

“Then a nice walk about the garden perhaps? Stretch your legs?”

“Too hot.”

He thought a moment.

“Shall I have Mrs. Kirsch bring in some ginger biscuits and tea?”

Charlotte opened her mouth to refuse then paused and considered.

“Yes.”

It took no time at all to arrange a tray brought up and even less time, it seemed, for Charlotte to clean the plate, magnanimously offering a few to him.

Once she’d polished off the last of her tea, he asked, “Any better?”

“Some,” came the begrudging response.

“Well,” he began again, meaning to excuse himself to return to his office to continue his work when he noticed her squirming in her chair. “Charlotte?”

She groaned. “Well the biscuits were a nice distraction but they’re gone now and I’m still as uncomfortable as before.”

“Would you like me to call Dr. Fuchs?”

“No!” Her vehemence seemed to surprise even herself and her wide eyes met his.

“No, thank you,” she offered more gently. “I’m sure Dr. Fuchs is busy enough without the common maladies of an expectant mother.”

Truthfully, she’d yet to forgive the good doctor for his prescription of cinchona bark when Charlotte had developed a small cold just after her wedding. The unfortunate reaction of her body’s digestive functions had left her in a much worse condition than her sniffly nose and mild cough had placed her. It had also left her unable to look Sidney in the eye for nearly three days from the embarrassment of it all.

His love and commitment to her had been well and truly tested in those early days. Though he had assured her he’d witnessed much worse on the boat to and from Antigua, part of her suspected he was being gallant.

“I could massage—“

“No,” she snapped again, this time not bothering to hide any animosity. “I know where that leads and I assure you I have no interest in doing that right now.”

Sidney’s eyebrow drew up sardonically. “I assure you madam, I am quite able to control myself.”

Charlotte’s face never changed but the way her hand smoothed down her dress over her expanding waist seemed to hint at something accusatory. Sidney felt a wave of indignation as he remembered perfectly well the way Charlotte had enthusiastically embraced the marital duties: locking the door to his office mid-day or parading the more intimate items of her trousseau or, one particularly memorable evening, when she decided the bathtub was big enough to hold them both...with some clever positioning of course.

His gaze met hers challengingly. “My, you are in a fractious mood today.”

He saw her jaw tighten, some biting comment just on the edge of her razor sharp tongue before she merely plopped back in her chair.

“It’s no use,” she said, visibly wilting. “I cannot be distracted from this discomfort. I will simply be uncomfortable for the next few months until this child arrives into this world.”

Sidney’s own frustration fled quickly as he took in his wife’s miserable expression and the way her small hand moved to rub circles against her hip.

He felt useless in the face of her challenges to accommodate the growing child within her body. He’d gotten to enjoy their physical liaisons without any of the consequences that now plagued Charlotte.

Sidney froze.

The bath.

He remember quite clearly the sounds of satisfaction that had escaped his wife’s lips as

she’s sunk down into the water.

His mind worked. It was much too hot for a warm bath and the time it would take to get a temperate bath ready seemed daunting.

Think. Think. Think......

And then he knew exactly what to do.

“Come, wife,” he extended his hands towards her. “I’ll send a footman to grab your hat and spencer.”

She hesitated. “Where are we going?”

“Not far,” he assured, ignoring her reticence. He instead, took both her hands in his and easily pulled her to her feet.

Her frown deepened. “I truly do now want—“

“Trust me?” Came his simple implore, but behind it was the lingering self-recrimination that he struggled to overcome for his role in their doomed first attempt at happiness.

In her head, Charlotte did not blame him and in her heart, she had come to forgive him and in her soul, she was forever tied to him. She would endure what she needed to help him come to truly be free of their past.

“Very well,” she conceded, though she pulled him up short when she resisted his attempts to lead her forward. “Only, must I wear my hat and spencer?”

She’d tried not to whine but failed quite spectacularly, earning an amused look from her husband.

“Actually, now that I think on it, neither will be necessary.”

She gave a sigh of relief. That meant he was definitely not taking her to see people. She was not in the mood for people. Charlotte acquiesced to his gentle lead and hand in hand she followed him out of the house.

They had spent a good deal of time in the London home, Sidney needing to keep his network of business going, and she hadn’t minded the Season. She’d danced and socialized and made many new friends while

delighting in the old, but once her condition had been confirmed she had felt herself longing for the open air and freedom of the country. When she’d broached the subject with Sidney one evening, he’d pulled her to him, pressing a lingering kiss to her brow, and then assured her he was already working on something of a surprise for her.

The surprise had been his family home just on the outskirts of Sanditon. It had been left abandoned once Tom and Mary had moved into town so Sidney had taken the necessary steps to open the home and employ a small staff. After a month of repairs and redecorating, they had moved in and Charlotte could not have been more pleased.

She loved the small cliffside home that sat amidst a wide field of green with the sea to its back. There was a delightful garden that Charlotte had found quite enjoyable to tend and meander about and a library stocked well enough to ensure hours of contentment. There was also a well-worn path that wound down to the beach, carved out over the years as the Parker children had spent their days playing by the sea.

Charlotte could not help the small smile as she pictured following her own children down the path that Sidney carefully guided her down now. While the path’s gentle slip ensures safety, Charlotte could already feel the hair at her neck damped in the heat and her breath became harder, yet the closure they drew the sea the stronger the breeze, alleviating some of the heat.

Once they’d reached the bottom, however, Charlotte was doing her best not to pant, through she knew she wasn’t hiding it too well as Sidney eyed her softly.

“Not far now,” he offered as way of apology before kneeling down and unlacing her boots, helping her step out of them and then sliding his hands up under her dress to untie the ribbons holding her stockings in place. She glanced over her shoulder, thankful they were under the ledge enough that they were hidden from the view of the house. Once he’d rolled down her stockings and left her bare feet, he sat back and rugged off his own boots, waving off her attempts to help.

Here the sand was soft and cool. Charlotte dug her toes in and reveled in the freedom.

Sidney again took her hand and led her a bit further down the beach and around a large wall of rock that jutted out. Behind the wall was a shaded alcove that when the tied was high Charlotte assumed formed a delicious little pool.

Sidney let go of her hand and began unbuttoning his waistcoat.

“Nurse would bring us here as children,” he explained, peeling off his waistcoat then tugging his shirt over his head. “Diana and Arthur could slash around in the inlet while Tom and I could spend hours jumping the waves. I assure you we shan’t be interrupted here.”

She was left to no doubt of his intent as he worked to unlace his breeches.

Her heart began to race at the thought of seeing her husband naked out in the open. She had grow up in the country with plenty of brothers but a lake surrounded by trees or a creek well hidden in the woods seemed less exposed than an alcove by the sea—as their history had proven.

“Sidney,” she tried, the wariness evident in her voice.

But he ignored her, stepping fully out of his trousers and pants. He then stepped towards her, turning her so he could begin unlacing her dress.

She felt her nervousness grow. “Are you certain we shan’t be seen?”

“Certain” he said, leaning close to her ear.

When her dress dropped to the sandy beach helped her step out and laid it carefully across a large rock.

He reached for the ties in the front of her chemise but she stopped him.

“This will do, don’t you think?” She hedged.

Sidney’s amused expression rankled her and she toyed with the idea of stripping off her last bit of modesty and throwing it at his face but the fear of being seen, particularly her body being seen ripe with child, won out and she merely crossed her arms and scowled at him.

“Very well,” he conceded, before bending low to whisper. “But in the moonlight I make no promises.”

A thrill went through her at the thought of a moonlight swim, her body naked in the sea.

At her blush he knew his words had hit the mark and he couldn’t help his smile growing victorious.

But then his brow lowered and his face grew serious. “Now, we have some pressing issues to address—a very unhappy mother-to-be.”

He led here again, this time to the waters edge. The waves near the shore were strong, threatening a coming storm. Yet Sidney knew they still had several hours before the heavens would open and unleash their torrent. Charlotte swayed heavily against him as they waves crashed against her knees, her balance not being what it normally was.

He scooped her up into his arms, carrying her over the ebb and flow near the shore and out into the seas until he no longer felt the drag of the undertow and the ripples in the water had lessened to a rhythmic bob of up and down.

Charlotte cling to him, the chill of the seas water shocking at first, a giggle of escaping as her emotions sought release.

“Relax,” he said gently, cradling her close. “Breath.”

He felt her taunt muscles loosen and the grip around his neck slacken.

“That’s it.”

He slowly lowered them both down into the water, still holding her to him.

Charlotte couldn’t help the sharp intake of air as the cool water enveloped her, but it only took a moment for her to acclimate, the immediate relief from the heat a welcomed delight.

She sighed as she relaxed further into him and he loosened his grip some, allowing the water to buoy her up. He slid his arm up some to allow her to lean her head back against it and helped her straighten her legs, leaving her weightless and floating atop the water.

They stayed like that, him holding her lightly, carefully, protectively, and her, eyes closed, lulled by the soothing rock of the waves and the familiar, smoky sent of her husband. It was quiet and beautiful and as the water moved about her, cover her ears and weaving through her hair, the sound of breathing filled her mind. She felt infinite and finite, like the whole world was theirs alone but all they wanted was this tiny space of it, where they held to each other.

At some point she shifted, bringing her head against his chest, droplets if water falling against her cheek. The pain in her back and hips were gone and the child, seemingly also calmed by the movement of the water, slept beneath her heart.

“I could stay here forever,” she breathed sleepily.

Sidney pressed a kiss to her hair. He found himself unable to speak. His goal had been to alleviate some of her pain and discomfort and the joy he experienced at achieving that desire filled him with such satisfaction he felt boundless, as if he could command even the sea to bow to Charlotte’s every whim. And yet, the simple act of holding her free of any demands and distractions, to wrap her up in his arms without selfishness or artifice of any kind, brought with it a greater intimacy than even their most passionate of encounters. If he was offered all the wonders the world, he knew, he wanted nothing more than the gift of holding her to last an eternity.

Thanks for reading!!!


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